the best books I read this month – february 2018

The end of another month has come upon us and somehow we are 1/6 of the way through 2018! Where the heck has the time gone? While I feel like the month flew by I was still able to read a few awesome books that I think all of you should know about them.

At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe by Tsh Oxenreider This book is for anyone who thinks that once you have kids you can’t travel anymore. The story of a family of 4 who packs up their life and spends a year on a world journey spanning multiple continents and countless countries. I loved reading about how to manage a family and travel at the same time and also helped me realize how little I could survive with.

One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter by Scaachi KoulI love collections of essays and this one touched my little feminist heart. A view into the life of Canadian daughter of Indian immigrants. Spanning topics of womanhood, the internet, being Indian, and many others I loved this look into the life of Sccachi and her writing style. I especially loved that this book was Canadian as there were so many quintessentially Canadian topics that I don’t often find in other books. Witty and engaging this is both a quick and enlightening read.

This Is How It Always Is by Laurie FrankelThis book is going to be one of my favourites of 2018, I already know it. The feelings and emotions and thoughts I had while reading this book have stuck with me across the month and I am sure I will find myself thinking back to this book throughout the year. This book tells the story of a family and specifically the story of Claude. “He’s five years old, the youngest of five brothers, and loves peanut butter sandwiches. He also loves wearing a dress, and dreams of being a princess. When he grows up, Claude says, he wants to be a girl.” The reactions and feelings of the family are ones that I feel are so real and this book gave me a lot to think about.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya AngelouThis is the book I chose to read for Black History Month and I loved it a lot. I had never read anything of Maya Angelou’s before and now I have many of her books on my to read list. This book is the start of a series of autobiographical novels that tells the story of Maya’s life from 8-17. Though there are a lot of painful and uncomfortable topics that come up through the book they are written with grace and clarity. I am excited to continue to read about her life and learn about topics that are hard to read about, but important to do so.

The Best We Could Do by Thi BuiThis beautifully illustrated graphic novel is such a touching story of families, immigration, and how to build a new life. Telling the story of herself and her parents the author shows their escape from Vietnam and their arrival to the United States. Though their journey is hard, you are able to see the love and strength that fills this family and how they survive.

Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring BlakeI am sensing a pattern this month of reading amazing, but painful books and this is no exception. This story deals with rape and not just any rape, but the accusation of the main character Mara’s best friend against her twin brother. This book felt so real while reading it and it was hard to remove myself from the world it had created. I felt like the hard topics were dealt with well and it definitely gave me a lot to think about. I received this book as an Advanced Readers Copy so it won’t be out until May 15th, but be sure to check it out when it is available.

Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life by Jen Hatmaker I have read a few of Jen Hatmaker’s books previously, but this one I feel like is one of my favourites. This book felt so real and it covered a lot of topics and didn’t shy away from tough ideas. I feel like this book would appeal to women of all ages and stages of life and it definitely both made me think and cheered me up.

The Last Wave by Gillian BestI flew through this book in less than a day and felt so connected to each of the characters. Spanning 6 decades this book tells the story of Martha, a woman who tries (and succeeds 10 times) to swim the English Channel. Over the years her marriage changes, her kids move away, and both her and her husband suffer from illness. Told in the viewpoints of her entire family and a neighbour we experience life, love, loss, and hardship in an intense and interesting way.

My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward by Mark LukachI thought I was done with this list and then I started reading this book. 20 pages in and I knew that I had probably the best book of the month. Heartbreaking, real, and honest this memoir is the true story of Mark’s wife’s three psychotic breakdowns and how it affected their life, marriage, and family. With Bell Let’s Talk day this past month and the honest portrayal of mental illness in this book I feel like this is a book that everyone needs to read.

Overall this month I read a lot of super amazing books (and some just okay ones). Feel free to check out my Goodreads profile here to see all the books I read and check out what I am reading now. What have you really loved reading lately and what should I add to my expansive to read list?